By Core 4 Insurance Team · Licensed Florida Insurance Agency · Miramar, FL
Five companies write about 78% of Florida’s auto market — and for 2026 they filed an average rate change of about −8%, with one cutting as deep as 16.5%. Here is who actually writes coverage here, where each tends to be competitive, and exactly how we built this comparison.
The letter arrives, it uses the word "non-renewal," and most Broward homeowners assume the decision is final and their only option is Citizens. Both assumptions are usually wrong.
Florida gives you a specific set of protections here — a long notice period, a required reason, and a rule that stops insurers from dropping you simply because a hurricane damaged your house. Very few homeowners know about the last one.
This guide covers what you are owed, what to do in what order, and how to avoid the outcome that actually hurts: a lapse.
How much notice must a Florida insurer give before non-renewal?
The short answer: At least 100 days before the effective date, in writing, with the reason stated. If the non-renewal would take effect between June 1 and November 30, you must receive notice at least 100 days out or by June 1 — whichever is earlier.
Florida writes this into statute for personal residential property policies, which includes homeowners, condominium unit owner, mobile home owner and similar coverage.
| Situation | Required notice |
|---|---|
| Renewal premium change | At least 45 days advance written notice |
| Non-renewal, cancellation or termination | At least 100 days before the effective date |
| Effective June 1 – November 30 | 100 days, or written notice by June 1 — whichever is earlier |
| Effective during a hurricane | Extended until the hurricane ends |
| Citizens non-renewal after takeout assumption | At least 45 days |
| OIR-approved early cancellation | At least 45 days, where the OIR finds it necessary |
Verified against Fla. Stat. § 627.4133, 2024–2025 Florida Statutes. Specific circumstances vary; this is a general summary, not legal advice about your policy.
Use the full 100 days. It is a long runway by design, and homeowners who act in week two get materially better outcomes than those who act in week thirteen.
Can an insurer drop you for filing a hurricane claim in Florida?
The short answer: Generally no. Fla. Stat. § 627.4133(3) says claims resulting from an act of God may not be used as a cause for cancellation or non-renewal — unless the insurer can demonstrate you failed to take reasonable action it requested to prevent recurrence of damage.
This is the most valuable and least known consumer protection in Florida property insurance.
Homeowners across Broward routinely decline to file legitimate hurricane claims because they are afraid of being dropped. The statute is designed to remove exactly that fear.
There is a related protection worth knowing: if a cancellation or non-renewal would take effect during a hurricane as defined by statute, the effective date is extended until the storm ends. Your coverage does not evaporate mid-event.
If the stated reason on your letter is a hurricane claim, that is worth raising — with your agent first, and with the Florida Department of Financial Services if it is not resolved.
Why are Florida homeowners being non-renewed?
The short answer: Roof age leads by a wide margin, followed by claims history, coastal exposure and carriers reducing overall Florida exposure. Most non-renewals are about the portfolio, not about you personally.
The distinction that matters: reasons about your property can often be fixed. Reasons about the carrier's book cannot, and no amount of remediation will change that letter.
What should you do in the 100 days after the letter?
The short answer: Work the admitted market first, surplus lines second, Citizens last — and never let the policy lapse. A gap in coverage triggers a force-placed policy from your lender that is worse and more expensive than anything you would choose.
Order matters here, and most homeowners run it backwards by calling Citizens first.
- Week 1 — get the reason in writing. The statute requires it. Everything downstream depends on knowing whether this is about your roof or their book.
- Week 1 — order a wind mitigation inspection. If yours is more than a few years old or predates a roof replacement, a current report can reopen admitted options.
- Weeks 1–3 — work the admitted market. This is where FIGA protection and state-approved forms live. Start here, always.
- Weeks 3–6 — price surplus lines. Broader appetite, no guaranty fund. See admitted vs surplus lines.
- Weeks 4–8 — evaluate Citizens. The insurer of last resort, with eligibility rules and assessment exposure. See Citizens vs private.
- Before day 100 — bind something. Whatever you choose, it must be in force before the old policy ends.
What can you fix to become insurable again?
The short answer: Roof, plumbing, electrical panel and opening protection — in that order of impact. A roof replacement is the single change most likely to reopen the admitted market.
If your letter cited a property reason, it named a fixable condition. Broward homeowners who treat the 100 days as a remediation window frequently end up better insured than before.
- Roof. The dominant factor. A documented replacement changes your risk profile at nearly every carrier.
- Wind mitigation report. Even without a new roof, a current report documenting roof deck attachment, roof-to-wall connections and opening protection can widen options.
- Plumbing. Repiping out of polybutylene or cast iron removes a common decline reason outright.
- Electrical panel. Certain older panels are declined by many carriers; replacement is usually cheaper than the coverage penalty.
- Opening protection. Impact windows or rated shutters improve both appetite and pricing, and matter more in coastal Broward.
- 4-point inspection. Address known deficiencies before ordering it, not after.
Details on both inspections are in wind mitigation inspections and 4-point inspections.
Is non-renewal the same as cancellation?
The short answer: No, and the difference decides how much time you have. Non-renewal ends the policy at its natural expiration with 100 days' notice. Cancellation ends it mid-term, and Florida restricts when that is permitted.
Homeowners use the words interchangeably. Insurers do not.
| Non-renewal | Mid-term cancellation | Premium increase | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it takes effect | At policy expiration | During the policy term | At renewal |
| Notice owed | 100 days | Varies by reason; restricted by statute | 45 days |
| Reason required in notice | Yes | Yes | Not a non-renewal |
| Your coverage now | Still in force until expiration | Ends on the stated date | Continues if you pay |
| Typical response | Work the market over 100 days | Move immediately | Shop, then decide |
General summary of Fla. Stat. § 627.4133 for personal residential property policies. Specific rights depend on the reason and your policy — confirm your situation rather than relying on a table.
Read your letter for which word it uses. A large premium increase is not a non-renewal at all, and it carries a different notice period and a different set of options.
What do Florida homeowners get wrong after a non-renewal letter?
The short answer: They wait, they call Citizens first, and they treat the letter as a verdict rather than a 100-day window with a stated reason they can often address.
- Waiting until week ten. The 100 days is a runway. Homeowners who start in week two get better outcomes than those who start in week thirteen.
- Calling Citizens first. It is the last resort by design, not the first call.
- Not demanding the specific reason. The statute requires it, and the reason determines the entire strategy.
- Assuming a hurricane claim is fair grounds. Under § 627.4133(3) it generally is not.
- Skipping a fresh wind mitigation report. The cheapest single action that can reopen admitted options.
- Letting it lapse for "just a few days." Force-placed coverage is the worst and most expensive outcome available.
What does non-renewal look like across Broward County?
The short answer: It concentrates east. Coastal and older housing takes the brunt; newer western construction in Miramar and western Pembroke Pines is far less affected.
The Broward pattern tracks construction era more than anything else.
Hollywood, the barrier island and older Fort Lauderdale housing combine wind exposure with pre-code construction and aging roofs — the exact profile carriers shed first when reducing exposure.
Western Broward developed later, under Florida's strengthened building code. Homes there generally hold admitted coverage more easily, and when they are non-renewed it is more often a carrier-book decision than a property one.
City-level detail is in our Miramar, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood guides.
The bottom line on Florida home insurance non-renewal
A non-renewal letter is not an emergency, and it is not a verdict on your house. It is a 100-day window with a statutory reason attached.
Use the window in order: get the reason in writing, order a current wind mitigation report, work the admitted market, then surplus lines, then Citizens. Bind something before the old policy ends, because a lapse and a force-placed policy is the only outcome here that is genuinely bad.
And if the stated reason is a hurricane claim, know that Florida law generally does not permit that — § 627.4133(3) exists precisely so homeowners are not afraid to file legitimate storm claims.
We handle these every week for Broward homeowners. Call (954) 420-1501 with the letter in hand and we will work the market in the right order. Disponible en español.
Home insurance by city
Non-renewal pressure varies sharply across Broward. These local guides cover the markets we write in most:
- Miramar, FL insurance guide — newer western construction
- Pembroke Pines insurance guide — condo, HOA and 55+ coverage
- Hollywood, FL insurance guide — coastal and older housing stock
- Citizens vs private home insurance
- Best home insurance companies in Florida
Keep reading
Guides that pair naturally with this one:
- why your landlord's policy isn't enough
- condo master policy: bare walls vs all-in
- the 2026 Florida rate picture
- home coverage for Florida retirees
- why your homeowners renewal increased
About this guide
Who wrote it. Written and reviewed by the Core 4 Insurance team — licensed Florida insurance producers based in Miramar, Broward County. We work non-renewal files for Broward homeowners every week.
Where we work. Statewide across Florida, with our office and deepest local experience in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.
How we source it. Notice periods, the act-of-God protection and the hurricane extension were verified against Fla. Stat. § 627.4133, read in full. This is general information about Florida law and not legal advice about your policy — for a disputed non-renewal, the Florida Department of Financial Services handles consumer complaints.
Regulator. Core 4 Insurance is licensed by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.
Last reviewed by the Core 4 Insurance Team on September 1, 2026. Florida property market conditions change quickly — we re-verify quarterly. For the broader picture, see our Florida Home Insurance Guide.